White House hit with staff upheavals

White House hit with staff upheavals – again U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly after an event with reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. October 10, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – Another round of upheaval engulfed President Donald Trump’s White House on Tuesday, with the future of several senior aides in doubt just a week after U.S. congressional elections. Three Trump cabinet members – Chief of Staff John Kelly, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke – could soon be gone, said sources familiar with internal discussions in the Republican administration. Turnover among White House personnel paused during the run-up to last week’s elections after senior Republicans asked Trump to refrain from firing staff, hoping to minimize perceptions of disorder. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced out by Trump last week just hours after the results came in from the Nov. 6 elections, which handed majority control of the House of Representatives to Democrats. Trump’s first 22 months in office have seen frequent shakeups. A study this year by the Brookings Institution, a think tank, found Trump’s White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents. In an unusual move, sources said, Trump was also ready to dismiss Mira Ricardel, deputy national security advisor, at the request of his wife, Melania Trump, after a clash between the two over the first lady’s recent trip to Africa…. [Read full story]